Covid-19 infections run the gamut from being completely asymptomatic to life-threatening and even life-ending. In between, we’re seeing everything from sore throats, runny noses, aches and pains, low and high-grade fevers, and coughs that rack the body and leave us struggling for breath. And what is this business of losing your sense of smell? Whatever it is, it’s real, and we see it pretty frequently. This is a strange virus, causing the entire world to collectively scratch our heads.
You may or may not know someone who has had this infection, or you may have had it yourself. If not, it’s out there and it’s real. Just ask Bill.
Bill is a long-time patient and friend of mine. He’s just over seventy and a retired professional. Reluctantly, he will admit to being “high risk” for the coronavirus because of his age and his hypertension. But he’s very active, keeps fit, and pays attention to his body.
Something was a little “off”—mild aches and a little congestion—and that brought him to the office. He was tested for the virus and sent home with instructions to increase his fluids, rest, monitor his temperature, self-quarantine, and await the results.
A few days later, one of our nurses called Bill to tell him he was positive for Covid-19. His symptoms hadn’t worsened. He was given further instructions and told to let the office know if he was getting worse. When I found out his test was positive, I emailed him with some thoughts and the encouragement that I believed he would do well and be fine. Regardless, he was to let me know if he was having any worsening problems.
I didn’t hear from Bill for more than a week. When I did, it was through an email late one evening.
Robert, you were right (I hate to say that). I did handle the virus very well. I have recovered and I feel pretty much normal. For your use with other patients, here is how it went with me and what I did to get through it.
After I learned that my test was positive, I had three days of fever, aching muscles, sore skin, headache, and fatigue. I took acetaminophen for the pain and fever, and I rested. By the fourth day, I felt better and thought it was over.
It wasn’t, and it came back the next day even worse. Same symptoms, but with more aches and fever. This second phase lasted about four days. Any activity made the fever come back. And then I developed a terrible cough. I coughed so hard that I pulled muscles in my stomach and chest. When I had to cough, I would curl up in a ball on the floor to ease the pain of the cough. I felt like I could not breathe. The shortness of breath caused me to feel a little panic, but I just forced myself to take deep breaths and coughed and the panic went away.
This is what I did to get through the virus. First was the over-the-counter meds for pain and fever. Second, I drank lots of water. I took vitamin C and zinc. I slept on my stomach. I forced myself to take a walk every day and I did light body twists and stretches. I practiced breathing exercises—took a deep breath and held it for five seconds, repeating this five times, several times a day. Then cough hard to clear my lungs. To deal with the terrible cough, I started eating crushed ice with fruit juice all day long. This was the very best thing I did and it helped the most to end the virus. It cut my coughing by 80% and kept me very hydrated. That really made the congestion break up, and then it was over. Still a little weak, but that is just due to the low activity. I feel I am getting stronger every day. Hope that is helpful…Bill
This is helpful Bill. It makes all of this real and provides some helpful suggestions.
But Bill was fortunate. Things could have headed south pretty quickly. Like many of us, he’s hard-headed, and I wish he had let me know of his coughing and shortness of breath. We could have helped with that.
So yes, this virus is real. And it causes real problems. Until we have a vaccine and/or an effective medication, we all need to be smart and careful. Handwashing, social distancing, and getting help when we need it.
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